Bee-hive



(Model.)

' J. I. FOOT.

BBE HNE. V l N0. 398,387. Patented Feb. 26, 1889'.

'im g UTTED STATES PATENT Erica JOSEPH I. FOOT, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

BEE-HIVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,387, dated February 26, 1889.

Application iiled April 13, 1887. Serial No. 234,682. (Model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH I. FOOT, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Diego, in the`county of San Diego and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bee-Hives; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make. and use the saine, reference being had to the accompanying draw ings, and t'o the letters and figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to bee-hives of that class which have a series of independent frames located within a casing or chamber.

The improvement consists in the novel features of construction which hereinafter will be more fully described, claimed, and shown in the annexed drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation, parts being broken away, of a brood-chamber embodying' my invention; Fig. 2, a cross-section on the line c c of Fig. l, looking to the left; Fig. 3, a perspective view of the brood-frames removed from the brood-chamber or casing; Fig. 4, a horizontal section on the lower portien of the brood-chamber and the broodframes on the line y -y of Fig. 1,011 an enlarged scale; Fig. of, a detail vertical section of one end of the brood-chamber about on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 6 a detail section of one side of the end frames on the line 6 of Fig. 3.

The invention consists in the brood-chamber made in sections, the top7 bottom, and sides of which are jointed in such a manner as to exclude moths and vermin of all kinds, yet readily removable for all purposes of hiving, handling, or transporting the bees, and in having a series of frames which can be separated froni one another, and which can have a desired number shut oit from the others by a slide or equivalent means.

The casing or chamber is composed of the bottom A, the rea-r and front sides, A A2, the two ends A3, the top A", and the frames B. The bottom is provided with the rim R, which is secured thereto at a short distance from its edges and prevents the bottom from warping and splitting and renders the ordinarycleats unnecessary. This rim, besides strengthening the bottom and forming the rest or support for the frames, affords a joint of several an gles and surfaces, which e'ffectually excludes moths and -vermin from the interior of the case or brood-chamber.

The bodyv of the case, composed of the sides A A2 and the ends A3, is rabbei'ed on its lower edge, so tirata portion extends over or overlaps the top of the rim and a portion extends down around the rim and rests upon the bottom, thereby forming a close joint, which will prevent theentrance of veruin. lower edges of the sides A an d Aare notched to provide openings d for the ingress and egress of the bees. The rim is provided with correspondingopenings, d', opposite the openings o, for a like. purposeunamely, a thoroughfare for the becs in their going in and coming out of the brood-chamber.

The frames are of ordinary shape and pattern and rest upon the rim R, so as to leave a space, C, the thickness of the rim betweenV them and the bottom A. A dead-air space is formed between the sides and the ends of the case and the frames, which maybe iilled with chaff, cut straw, or other packingmaterial, to preserve a somewhat uniform temperature. The frames are placed beside one another and have openings formed at the top and bottom between each two upper and lower bars of the frames to permit the passage of the bees. Thin plates D are interposed between the frames for separating the combs and dividing thecolony. These plates can be inserted between the frames' without disturbing the bees or allowing them to escape. The sides I of the end frames, I', of the series of frames are extended and provided with grooves t' for the reception of the slides b, which close the end frames of the series of brood -frames The slides Z9 can be raised at will for hiving the swarm or for viewing the work of the bees. Glass, as h, may be inserted between these slides and the bees in the same grooves with the slides b, as shown most clearly in Fig. 6, so that the Work can be viewed from time to time by raising the said slides. In practice the series of brood-frames are placed upon the rim, and are held from separating at their The..

IOO

tingI the bees off from a portion ot the frames in ease the swarm small, or it it is desired to remove a portion or some ol the frames for any purpose whatsoever. The rod g, connected at one end with the slide and passing tl'irough and out beyond the rim R, is provided to be grasped by the hand in order to move the slide. The brood-frames are provided Awith a supplemental oever, H, to close the openings between their upper bars when the top Afef the hive or ease is removed, and a similar slide will be provided to elose the openings between the lower bars when the ,frames are wholly removed from the case or brood-chamber for transportaiion or vfor any other purpose.

'The frames will be held together during transportation by any suitable means-as by "the bolts QLwhieh pass through the sides of the series oll frames, or by the strips K, which are fasteilewl to each frame of the series, as will be readily understood.

The brooder may be provided with a honeysection or not, as desired. lf a honeyesection is provided, it may be applied to the broeder in the most convenient manner, the dotted linesin Fig. 2 showing the lower portion of a lion ey-seetion applied tothe top of the brooderl Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to sceure by Letters Patent, 15;...

l. The combination, with thc bottom and the rim having bee-entrances, of the trames.

mounted upon the rim and having a space between them and the bottom, and having beeentrances between their bottom bars, and the eut-oit slide vfitted against the bottom bars ot the frames and located in said space and adapted to be moved therein to cut ott any required number of the iframes, substantially as and vfor the purpose described.

2. The combination, with the series of comb-frames the end ones of which have their sides extended and vertically grooved, of the slides h and glass 7L, fitted in the said grooves, and means, as described, for scouring the said vframes together, substantially as set forth.

3."l`he herein shown and described bee-y hive, composed ol" the bottom,therim secured thereto, the brood-frames .placed upon the r cleats fastened to the ends of the .rim andembracing the lower edges of the trames, .the wire holding .the upper edges of the f nes from spreading, the slides at each end ofthe series of brood-frames, and thin vplates interposed between the brood-frames, the cut-oft' slide, the case rabbeted on its lower edge and litted to the rim, and the supplemental top and the top proper, substantially as'and forthe purpose set forth. In testimony whereof l alieix my signature in presence of ltwo witnesses.

JOSEPH l. FOOT.

Witnesses:

FRANK J. HIGGINS, WM. H. CARLSON. 

